Recess drink is a CBD-infused sparkling water with natural fruit flavors. It claims to not only taste good, but make you feel calm and relaxed. Does it live up to the hype?
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Raise your hand if you reach for a glass of wine or a shot of espresso to help with stress, anxiety or fatigue. Same. And while there’s nothing wrong with a little alcohol or caffeine pick-me-up in moderation, we were intrigued to learn about Recess sparkling water, the perfect alcohol-free beverage for Dry January. It’s a stress-relieving and focus-enhancing CBD drink with healthier ingredients—and cuter cans.
After reading positive reviews and researching the ingredients further, I just had to test the sampler pack to give my honest Recess drink review. Here’s what happened to my stress levels—and mood.
Enjoy natural feel-good ingredients including fruit, herbs, American ginseng and L-theanine.
Recess is a line of fruit-flavored CBD sparkling waters infused with natural ingredients. Recess promotes its beverages as “an antidote to modern times” and claims they help drinkers achieve focus, relaxation, creativity and balance. Each of the six sparkling water flavors is infused with 10 milligrams of CBD, hemp extract and adaptogens thought to keep you mellow and relaxed. According to Linda Lin, a licensed nutritionist and herbalist and co-owner of Gullybean, that’s the perfect amount. “Around 10 to 25 milligrams per serving is a good range for most people,” she says.
The sparkling waters also contain other natural feel-good ingredients. American ginseng is known to improve memory and focus, while mood-brightening L-theanine is a sleep-improving amino acid found in tea plants. The lemon balm gives a gentle boost of energy.
Recess sparkling waters are also flavored with fruit and herbs to make them taste yummy. Each 12-ounce can has between 15 and 30 calories, 4 to 6 grams of carbohydrates and 3 to 6 grams of sugar—depending on which of the six flavors you choose.
Please note that while CBD use appears to be generally safe, like many supplements, these claims aren’t backed by the FDA.
The Recess sampler features six flavors: coconut lime, blood orange, black cherry, peach ginger, pomegranate hibiscus and blackberry chai. Order the drinks in either a one-time-purchase six-pack or a subscription 12-pack. The latter option lets you set recurring deliveries every two, four or eight weeks. You also save $10 per pack with a subscription.
While Recess’s CBD content is certainly the star of the show, its other ingredients—namely its adaptogens, like ginseng and lemon balm—also may offer a significant, beneficial impact to some users. These natural herbs, roots and other plant substances help reduce stress and improve focus, making Recess a functional drink beyond just its CBD content.
As Recess largely lacks caffeine and is free of psychoactive ingredients, you can drink it at any time without worrying about a crash or a hangover.
“Hemp-derived CBD doesn’t have the same effects as THC (the compound in cannabis that does get you high),” Linda explains. “What you might feel is a mild sense of calm, less tension or a more chill mood. It’s a light, relaxed feeling like the tension easing after your first beer, but without the buzz. Funny enough, CBD and hops (the plant used in beer) are actually botanical cousins, which helps explain that similar chill vibe.”
That said, many users report enjoying drinking Recess in the early afternoon to help boost focus and productivity, reduce daily stress, and even invigorate themselves as the day goes on.
My Recess drink review was as easy as cracking open a chilled can, popping a metal straw inside and sipping. Since I’ve tried CBD gummies before, I wasn’t nervous about drinking CBD, but I did want to do a thorough test to feel the effects.
I’m a regular at Pilates, and I don’t like to go to class if I’ve recently had a cocktail or glass of red wine. Alcohol and balancing exercises simply don’t mix—not to mention the sleepy side effects I sometimes get after happy hour. I had a Pilates class scheduled after work, and I was feeling the late afternoon slump. Instead of pouring a late afternoon coffee that could disrupt my sleep, I decided to drink a can of the peach ginger Recess.
Thoughts after the first sip? Yum! The peach flavor tasted straight from Georgia, and the ginger added a slightly spicy note that I liked. I didn’t detect anything medicinal or chemical. As for bubble strength, I’d positively compare it to a can of La Croix. About 20 minutes after I drained the can, I felt calm and focused. It wasn’t intense or distracting, and I got through my Pilates class feeling both relaxed and concentrated on the instructor’s vocal cues. I didn’t have any trouble falling asleep that night.
After the successful Pilates test, I opened the pomegranate hibiscus can before a long afternoon Zoom conference call. I’m not the biggest hibiscus flavor fan, but I did like the fruity pomegranate. Results were similar to how I felt after the first can: generally calm, relaxed and able to focus on the agenda and deliverables. What work anxiety?
The brand also offers non-alcoholic canned cocktails. They don’t contain CBD. Rather, Recess’ zero-proof craft mocktail collection mimics the flavor profile of popular cocktails like a margarita, Paloma, mojito and Moscow mule while leaning on mood-boosting adaptogens and natural feel-good ingredients to go from “buzzed to balanced.” The real kicker? They only have 5 grams of sugar and 25 calories each. Plus, a little caffeine (10 milligrams, to be exact) to keep you feeling social.
“I’m always looking for ways to cut back on booze by replacing my favorite cocktails with drinks that actually support my well-being, and out of all the non-alcoholic cocktails, spirits, wine and beer I’ve tried, the Recess zero-proof drinks are in my top three,” says Product Reviews Home Editor, Madi Koetting. “The flavors come pretty close to the real thing, but the difference with Recess is I actually feel a relaxing buzz. I was impressed that after just one and a half cans of their mocktails, I felt the same relaxing sensation as if I had a glass of wine. But the difference is I can feel good about what’s going into my body thanks to Recess.”
There are a lot of CBD-infused and adaptogen-loaded drinks on the market, like Vybes, Otra Vida, and Kin, and they all have their own varying levels of CBD and other ingredients. Recess is on the lighter side of the CBD spectrum, boasting only 10 milligrams of CBD per can. That said, its lower dosage is also somewhat offset by its other adaptogen ingredients, making for an overall well-balanced brew.
Drinks like Kin, however, don’t have any CBD at all, relying instead on other ingredients to offer a similar effect (although their effectiveness may vary). Vybes, on the other hand, has as much as 25 grams per serving and, according to some users, is preferred by those seeking a stronger effect for managing anxiety or pain. Lastly, Otra Vida offers tea, but not in a ready-made version—so you’d have to brew the tea yourself before you can drink it (meaning it is also served hot, or you could refrigerate it and have it chilled at a later time).
That said, Recess is one of the most commercially available CBD-infused drinks on the market, making it both widely approachable and affordable. This helps it stand out head and shoulders above its competition.
At this point in my life, I’ve more or less stopped drinking. Sure, it’s fun in the moment, but I hate the post-cocktail crash. Recess CBD sparkling water is the solution I’ve been looking for during Dry January and beyond. It has fun flavors, a satisfying fizz and a combination of ingredients that makes me feel better, not worse. Plus, I love that I can enjoy Recess as a mid-day pick-me-up
Move over, Perrier; I’m filling my mini fridge with Recess. After I drink a can, I feel zen and focused, without any of the crash side effects or hangover feeling that can come from consuming caffeine or alcohol. And Recess tastes good and looks cute in the fridge.
Looking for more feel-good bubbly drinks? Try our favorite prebiotic and probiotic soda brands, best kombuchas or bubbly hop waters.
This CBD-infused sparkling water promotes focus, relaxation, creativity and balance.
Order the six-pack Recess sampler directly from the brand’s website, or pick up select flavors at Walmart, Target, Amazon or Proof No More. A one-time six-pack will run you $30 while a subscription 12-pack costs $50. While on the pricier side, each can still costs less than even the cheapest drink at the bar or a craft coffee at a cafe. Plus, you just can’t beat that relaxed, productive feeling!
Yes, each can contains a small dose (10 milligrams) of broad-spectrum hemp. Rest assured, though, that Recess does not include THC, the compound found in marijuana that results in a high. That makes Recess completely legal to enjoy.
After drinking a can of Recess, you may feel calm, relaxed and focused.
None—except for a minuscule amount in the tea-based blackberry chai flavor. Recess is generally caffeine-free, making it an ideal nightcap.
At Taste of Home, our editors and product testers delight in testing new products and sharing their experiences. Our team has years of experience testing everything from the best meal delivery services to the best best canned alcoholic drinks. For this article, Madi Koetting and Katie Bandurski, two of our most seasoned product testers, tried a variety of Recess drinks and documented their experience from start to finish. We strive for full transparency and made sure to include the good and the bad so you’ll know exactly what to expect.
